


sd&d&dmas

by SophiexHorayne



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: Christmas Presents, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, M/M, Mistletoe, Snow, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, christmas !!, steve is embarrassingly in love someone help him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28197219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiexHorayne/pseuds/SophiexHorayne
Summary: It's the gang's first Christmas at Waterdeep, living in the strange old Troll Skull Manor.a short little fic leading up to Christmas (it's mostly stevanos to be honest)
Relationships: Stephanos Coffeebean/Steve, Takky/Yagra
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Snow

Stephanos was bunched up on one of the window seats of Troll Skull Manor, pressing his forehead against the cold glass. A blanket was wrapped around him, a blanket Qezza had leant him. He loved it. It was so huge for him that he could wrap it around himself nearly 5 times. It kept him cosy. 

It was how Steve found him, bundled under the blanket, smearing the window with his breath. 

“There you are.” Steve said, crossing the room and sitting himself on the opposite side of the seat, “What’re you doing?” 

There was a closed book tucked in the space between Stephanos’ bunched up legs and chest. “Reading.” he replied, but continued to stare out the window.

Steve looked at him funny, confused but Stephanos didn’t notice, continued to gaze out the window, craning his neck as though watching out for something.

“Good book?”

“Hmm?”

“You said you were reading.” 

“Oh. Yeah.” Stephanos looked down at his book, picked at the top edge of the spine. Steve wondered whether or not to press the matter. Clearly, Stephanos was thinking about something. What if… what if it was about him?

“Cotton…” Steve started, waiting for the halfling to drag his gaze away from the window. Finally he did so, and Steve continued, “You alright? You look troubled.”

Stephanos forced a small smile and looked back down at his book, “It just hasn’t snowed yet.” 

“Oh.” Steve didn’t know what to make of that. It seemed a bit of a nothing thing to trouble oneself over, no snow, “Waterdeep doesn’t often have snow though, right? It’s not unusual.”

“I know.” Stephanos replied, “But it’s unusual to me,” he met Steve’s confused frown and quietly explained, “At home it always snowed over Christmas. It’s not Christmas without snow.”

“Wow, can _ not _ relate. I think Christmas is way better without snow, I hate the stuff. It’s cold, it’s a safety hazard and the moment someone sets foot in it, it loses all its elegance and becomes an ice slide.”

“Well you can’t talk! You don’t even like Christmas!” 

“What are you on about, I love Christmas! You get drunk and receive gifts, what is not to like about that?”

“Well you weren’t exactly enthusiastic when we put up the tree.” Stephanos pointed out.

Okay. That wasn’t  _ untrue _ . They put the tree up on the first of December, it was huge and filled almost a quarter of the living room they were currently sitting in. It was gleaming with lights and tinsel and very carefully arranged baubles (as carefully arranged by Steve).

“Yeah, that’s because fucking Renaer kept putting decorations in the wrong place.” Steve told Stephanos. He was also jealous of Qezza lifting Stephanos on her shoulders so he could put the star on top of the tree. Partly because of Stephanos’ stupid lame crush on the halforc which  _ definitely didn’t  _ make Steve jealous, and partly because he sort of wanted to put the star on the top himself. 

“Oh.” Stephanos ran his finger along the edges of his book again, “I’m glad you like Christmas.”

“Good.” Steve stared out the window for himself. Waterdeep was just on the other side of the front gate. At the end of the road, the Yawning Portal stood. If they weren’t in the Yawning Portal at night, the raucous patrons kept them awake. Why was he willing for snow right now? 

“It’s my favourite time of year, you know.” Stephanos added.

Steve looked back over at him. He couldn’t help but smile, “That’s funny, you know because it’s my favourite time of the year too.”

“Yeah?” 

Steve nodded, still smiling. Unbelievable, Stephanos was, always making him smile uncontrollably. He felt like an idiot for it. “Yeah.” he replied, voice barely above a whisper. To distract himself from the way his heart was beating out of his chest, he glanced back out the window. Did a double take.

“Oh my god.”

“What?” Stephanos frowned and turned to look out the window too. His eyes lit up, “Snowing! It’s snowing!”

He flew off of the window seat, quite forgetting he was wrapped in a blanket. He landed in a crumple on the floor, book beside him. He wasn’t phased. He picked himself up, unwravelled the blanket from around him (which meant he was hurriedly spinning around in a circle for a long few seconds), let it fall to the ground, and hurried out the room shouting;

“Qezza! Renaer! Snowing, it’s snowing!”

Steve watched him go, feeling numb and fuzzy. Definitely just a Christmassy type feeling. Suddenly Stephanos reappeared in the room. He found Steve still at the window and huffed.

“Come on!” He ran over, grabbed his arm and pulled him from the window seat, dragging him from the room.

“Stephanos, I told you I don’t like snow!”

Stephanos ignored him.

They flew through the kitchen, where Qezza and Renaer were putting some interesting small pastries into the oven.

“What are you mak-” before Steve could finish, Stephanos was pulling him out the back door, “Cotton I don’t have shoes!” He pulled them to a stop on the veranda and threw on some of the boots sitting against the wall. It shouldn’t be a makeshift shoe rack. But it was, for Steve, all his shoes lined up in a little row against the wall. 

“Come on, hurry up!” Stephanos shouted, waiting for him while he stood in the middle of the grass of their large back garden. He threw his arms out in the air and stared up at the sky. Snowflakes continued to fall, getting heavier with every moment.

Steve joined him. It was cold and he wasn’t impressed. But he practically melted at the sight of Stephanos, the snow trapped in the curls of his hair, the pinks of his cheeks. He shook a snowflake out of his own fringe and stood there awkwardly watching the halfling stick his tongue out for snow to land on. 

“Cotton.” Steve started. Stephanos dropped his arms and looked at him.

“What?” 

He was so cute. Too cute. Okay. Maybe Steve didn’t hate snow so much anymore. In response to Stephanos, he shook his head.

“You just… you’re not going to catch snow on your tongue.” 

Stephanos frowned, “Bet you couldn’t.”

“Oh come on.” Steve said, “Don’t drag me into your little games.” 

“Alright well then I win by default.” Stephanos retorted with a proud shrug.

Steve rolled his eyes, “Unbelievable.” in the most bored looking way he could, he poked his tongue out, waiting expectantly for a flake.

Qezza and Renaer watched them from the kitchen window. Qezza was washing up. Renaer was half-assing the drying up. 

“They’re absolutely together.” Renaer said, watching Steve shove Stephanos out the way in an attempt to catch the nearby falling snowflake. Stephanos pushed him back at once. 

“No way.” Qezza said, “Steve being honest to someone about his feelings? That’s too much even for a Christmas miracle.” she placed the bowl they’d used to make the pastry onto the drying rack. Renaer didn’t start drying it right away, watched them cheer as Steve finally caught a flake. 

“But they’re so…”

“I know.” Qezza added a rolling pin to the draining board. 

“Are you  _ sure  _ you know Steve that well? I mean you only knew him for about a day more than I have.”

“Trust me, I know.” Qezza replied, adding the cutter to the pile, “Hey, come on, you’re slacking.” 

Renaer started drying the bowl, begrudgingly.

Outside Steve and Stephanos rolled in the grass, a light dusting of snow washing over the garden. Steve was trying to hold Stephanos away, but the halfling was set on licking the snowflake out of his hair before it melted.

“Mince pies are ready!” 

Qezza’s voice called from the back door just as Stephanos successfully licked at the snowflake. Then he jumped up, yelling back to Steve,

“Race you!”

Steve scrambled up and hurried after him. He caught up and grabbed Stephanos by the waist, making him squeal. Steve carried him up onto the porch then dropped him down and dashed to the tray of mince pies Qezza laid out on the table. Stephanos shoved him away and grabbed at some himself. Renaer cast Qezza a look as crumbs floated down across the porch. Qezza half-glared back but she couldn’t help but doubt herself for a moment… were they truly this oblivious?


	2. One Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanos is cold. Steve's bedroom has a fire.

Steve was half asleep when his door opened. Light peeled into the bedroom and let in a draft of cold and frosty air. A small silhouette stood hugging themselves in the doorway. Steve frowned.

“Cotton? What’re you doing it’s like, one in the morning.” he grumbled from his bed, without any true notion of what time it was at all. 

“It’s not even midnight.” Stephanos replied, “I can’t sleep, my room’s freezing.”

“What am I meant to do about it? Just cast a flame or something.” 

“Last time I did that I nearly burnt my room down remember?” 

Steve grinned at the memory, a frantic Stephanos throwing his blankets over floorboards that billowed with fire. 

“Well? What do you want me to do?” Steve repeated. He was perfectly warm in his room, and the door being open was giving the room an awful chill. 

“You have a fire.” Stephanos pointed out, gesturing to the fireplace at the foot of Steve’s king sized bed. “And it’s always so warm in here.”

“And? I won this room fair and square I ain’t leaving.”

“Not asking you to leave.” Stephanos retorted, stepping fully into the room and shutting the door, “Just wondered if I could sleep here. I don’t mind the floor, honestly I can-”

“What’re you gonna do? Curl up in front of my fire like a cat? Don’t be ridiculous,” Steve shuffled backwards in the bed and patted the space now beside him. “Get in and let me sleep.” 

Gleeful, Stephanos glided across the room and scrambled up onto the bed. He slipped under the covers, facing Steve, and grinning at him. 

“Thank you, Steve.”

Sleepily, Steve smiled. “Whatever, dude, just get to sleep.” He closed his eyes. 

He couldn’t sleep. After a little while, when Stephanos’ breathing slowed and barely reached Steve’s face, Steve peeked one of his eyes open. Stephanos was fast asleep. Steve opened his other eye and looked at him, his hair tousled on the pillow, his nose slightly scrunched, his lips still slightly smiling. He felt weak, his stomach fluttering as if a small fire was simmering away inside of him.

When Steve woke up, Stephanos’ arm was wrapped around his stomach, and his head was pressed on his chest. He sighed at the ceiling. It was so warm. His hand found Stephanos’ hair and before he could stop himself, he began to thread his fingers through it, lightly, afraid to wake him. He wondered, the outcome of Qezza or Renaer walking in right now, but decided he was still half asleep and didn’t care enough to truly do anything about it. 

“Hi Steve.” Stephanos murmured quietly, after Steve had almost fallen back to sleep. 

“G’morning.” Steve muttered, his hand slipping from Stephanos’ hair. He nearly leant it around Stephanos’ back, but thought better of it and slipped his arm under his own head instead. 

“Thank you for letting me stay here,” Stephanos continued, “You’re very warm.” 

Steve let out a laugh, “You’re welcome I guess, but er- we oughta get up before Qezza gets the wrong idea.”

“Noooo I’m comfy.” Stephanos tightened his grip around Steve’s middle, clinging to him even as Steve tried to pry him away.

“Cotton!”

Stephanos grumbled into his pyjama shirt, “5 more minutes!”

They ambolled into the kitchen together eventually, Qezza and Renaer already finishing their food. They shared a glance but daren’t say a word to the two boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> realised I didn't leave any note yesterday so uhhh, yeah! this will be updated everyday up to and including christmas and technically each story follows on from each other. Hope u all will enjoy!


	3. Presents (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve’s on a mission. Unfortunately that mission takes him to the Xoblob shop

For Qezza, Steve had bought a dagger. It was sharp and rich diamonds glittered along the sheath. For Renaer, Steve had bought a joke pack of cards, in which every single card was a joker. He’d also bought Renaer his favourite chocolates; it was Christmas after all.

But for Stephanos… he couldn’t think.

He’d searched every shop in Waterdeep and was now, unfortunately, browsing the shelves of the Xoblob shop. Did Stephanos even like purple? He wasn’t sure. There were small stuffed creatures, a few sturges, but it felt unoriginal and boring. Stephanos deserved everything. Unfortunately, you couldn’t easily buy “everything”. 

“Friend!” 

The greeting made Steve jump. He dropped the glass jar he’d picked up and it smashed over the floor, making purple dust dissipate around him, flooding the shop with hazy purple clouds. 

“Oh dear, nevermind, I’ll grab a broom! So sorry to make you jump like that friend!”

When Steve had entered the shop, Xoblob was out the back. He was hoping to sneak in, grab something, slap some dragons on the counter and leave before Xoblob appeared. No such luck. Xoblob was back in a moment, and began sweeping away the dust and purple glass. 

“So what brings you here, friend? Miss me?”

“Uh… yeah, sure, why not.” Steve answered, gazing around the shop distractedly.

“Doing some last minute shopping are we? Ohhh dear who didn’t make the cut, not me I hope?” 

“Uhhh.” Steve couldn’t tell if he was joking, “No, no not you.” he forced a smile. 

“The tall one?” 

“Huh?”

“The big scary tall one? Of your friends? Is she the one you’re buying for?”

“Uh, no, no not Qezza.”

“So the tiny one! Oooooh, well I’d have let you gift him The Beholder but since you  _ stole  _ it-”

“We didn’t steal it.” Steve hurried. He didn’t have time to get on Xoblob’s bad side today, “We’re borrowing it.”

“Well yes you  _ said  _ you were borrowing it but since you have not yet given it back and it has been well over three months now, I am counting it as stolen.”

“It’s borrowed!” Steve promised, “We’ll have it back to you in the New Year.” if he can prize it from Stephanos’ hands as he slept. He was oddly obsessed with that thing. 

“Sure, sure, well, the little guy then! What’re you thinking of buying him?” Xoblob swept the broken glass and powder into a hole in the floorboards. Steve watched in slight bewilderment. 

“Um. Well I don’t know, that’s the problem. I want it to be special.”

“Special.” Xoblob echoed as he leant the broom against the wall. He put his hand to his face. His hand was now as covered in eye tattoos as his face, Steve didn’t want to ask him when he had that done, but he did wonder. “Hmmmmm. Well how about a song?”

“A song?” Steve parroted, frowning, “I’ve barely got a week I can’t write a song that quickly.” 

“Well you did for me that time, remember? Very very special it was yes, I’m sure he would love it!” 

Stephanos  _ did  _ enjoy watching Steve sing. Sometimes he got Steve to sing him to sleep. “But… what if he doesn’t like it?”

Xoblob shrugged, “Then he wouldn’t be a very nice friend.”

“You’re not a very nice friend.” Steve muttered.

“What was that?”

“Hm? Oh I said he’s more than a friend.” Steve’s eyes widened, “Wait- wait no no no no no that’s not what I-”

“Ahhhhhhh, I seeeeeeee.”

“No, no no no you absolutely really don’t.”

“Yes, yes a  _ lover’s gift _ . Well, now…” 

“Xoblob, honestly, that wasn’t what I was-”

“Let me seeeee.” Xoblob crossed the shop and dragged a chair behind the counter. He scrambled on top of it and reached up to the top shelf on the wall behind the counter. He began throwing items recklessly over his shoulder, muttering  _ nope _ s and  _ nah _ s and  _ absolutely not _ s as he launched each piece. Steve had to work to dodge them all. They clattered all around him, littering the floor with lavenders and violets, all strange trinkets and eccentric jewellery with amethyst stones hanging around chains. 

“Xoblob, honestly, you’ve got the wrong idea-”

“How about a necklace?” Xoblob asked, jumping down from the chair and slamming a thin purple metal chain onto the counter, along with a small purple jewellery box. “You can choose your own charms.” he opened the jewellery box and revealed various beads. “There’s some heart shaped ones in there.” he wiggled his eyebrows, the eye tattoos on his forehead wiggling about with them. 

Steve frowned but obediently looked into the box, rummaging around the beads, all various purples. There were some hearts, thin metal painted lilac shades. Some of them have names carefully etched in, some only letters. His fingers ran across one with the letter  _ S  _ on it. He picked it up and stared at it, still frowning. 

Would Stephanos even like this? Was it even that special? 

“That would look cute!” Xoblob said, peering over the lid of the box to see which bead Steve was looking at, “If he doesn’t like it, I sure would take it!” 

Steve wrinkled his nose. He couldn’t wait to get out of here. “Sure, yeah, I’ll take it, whatever, how much?”

“That would be sixty five dragons please!”

“It’s what?”

“Sixty five! I know, bargain isn’t it? Usually they’re eighty dragons but, we’re friends! We’re friends!”

“Right…” Steve said. Xoblob was grinning widely, stretching the tattoos on his cheeks. It was freaking him out a bit, “Sure, sure sixty five.” he slammed a bundle of dragons from the table and gathered the charm and the necklace chain. “Later Xoblob.”

“Goodbye dear friend! Don’t leave it so long next time!” 

“Sure.” Steve hauled open the door. 

“And bring my Beholder back in the new year!” Xoblob shouted as the door swung shut. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok we get little bit of angst tomorrow i swear!!!


	4. Presents (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve decides to write a song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i decided takky uses they/them pronouns bc why the hell not lol.

Despite having the necklace, and despite the idea coming from Xoblob, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about writing a song. The necklace was expensive but it didn’t mean “everything” and Xoblob may be both creepy and terrifying but a song wasn’t a bad idea. He just wasn’t sure when he’d perform it to Stephanos without the eyes of Qezza and, inevitably, Renaer. 

He practised out of the house, snuck out at dawn so no one could follow him. He sat out on the docks, letting the frozen wind snap up his papers and tug his pen along the wall every time he let them go. There were more scribbles on his page than words and his fingers ached from the cold and the constant press to his pencil or guitar strings. But he kept going.

_ Do you know that you are everything _

_ Do you know that I’d do anything _

_ Anything _

_ Anything _

_ For you. _

It was all he had and he still didn’t really like it. He kept crossing out and adding  _ anything _ and then he changed  _ for  _ to  _ I lov _ and scrubbed it out before he completed the words. He grumbled and started up the chorus again.

“That sounds sweet.” A familiar voice. Steve jumped and almost fell back off the wall and into the frozen ocean on the other side. He let go his paper, too, but the speaker caught it.

It was Takky, the one that loved carrots and witnessed the brawl all those months back. They were skimming over the paper with a small smile on their face. 

“This is very sweet,” they said, “Who’s it for?” Steve scrambled from the wall and snatched the papers from them, creasing them in the process.

“No one.” he snapped, “It’s hypothetical. Made up.”

“Well you don’t have to get so defensive about it.” Takky retorted, sounding hurt.

Perhaps the Christmas spirit was getting to him, or the stupid lyrics had turned him to mush, because Steve felt a little bad. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, sitting back down on the wall, “I just, I can’t get it right and I need it done by Christmas.”

“Why that’s three days away!” Takky said. Tentatively, they sat beside him on the wall, “You know… you may not believe this, but they say I’m quite the romantic.”

“They? Who the hell is ‘they’?”

Takky shrugged, “People?” 

“What people? Name one person who’s said that to you!” 

Takky looked down shyly, “Yagra.”

Steve blinked, “Yagra. Yagra’s said you’re romantic.”

“Do you want my help or not?” Takky asked, blushing furiously. 

“I mean if we’re going by Yagra’s opinion here I’m not really sure that-”

“Fine, fine, I’ll leave you to it then.” Takky slipped off of the wall.

“No! No, wait. Please, I need help, I can’t do this.” Steve grabbed their wrist before they could get too far and flashed them hopeful, begging eyes. 

Takky rolled their eyes, “You only needed to ask.” they said, sitting back down.

*

Takky did help. They knew their way with beautiful words, while Steve only knew his way with words. They wrote together until darkness swept across Waterdeep and it was too cold to feel their fingers. Steve played the song one last time to make sure it was right. And he finished, meeting Takky’s eyes with a relieved smile because  _ finally _ .Then he felt someone watching them.

He turned. Stephanos stood across the path, wrapped up in about 5 jumpers (almost all of them Qezza’s). He just stared. Then turned and hurried back down the path.

“Shit.” Steve muttered, slipping off the wall, leaning his lute against it and rushing after the halfling. 

“Stephanos! Stephanos wait!” He caught up easily, whether it was the jumpers weighing Stephanos down or whether Steve had always been a little faster (longer legs) was uncertain. 

“Get off me.” Stephanos snatched his arm out of Steve’s desperate grip. 

“Let me explain.” 

“Explain what? Steve we’ve- we’ve been looking everywhere for you! All day, all of us! Even Renaer! We were so worried! And you’re just- you’re out here on some date with  _ them _ ?!” he gestured back down the path to where Takky was still sitting on the wall, watching and crunching slowly on a carrot. 

“There’s nothing wrong with Takky.” Steve said. “Anyway it’s not like that I- wait, you think we’re on a  _ date _ ? Come on Cotton, you’re being ridiculous.”

“So you just sang them a song and made heart eyes for- for what exactly.”

Steve frowned. This was ruining everything, he’d rather Renaer found them then Stephanos. “Well I can’t tell you.” he said. It clearly wasn’t what Stephanos wanted to hear because his eyes flashed with hurt before he turned and made to walk away.

“Cotton.” Steve grabbed him back, “Okay, fine. The song was for you. Takky was helping me write it. Okay? It was for you.” 

Stephanos blinked. “But.” he shook his head, “But… it looked like a really meaningful song.”

“...Yeah.”

God. This was so embarrassing. This wasn’t how it was meant to go. This was a disaster and an embarrassment.  _ God _ . Why did he listen to Xoblob of all creatures? 

“But… you always sing me stupid stuff.”

Steve shrugged. “Well it’s for Christmas, Cotton, I can be nice.”

At that, Stephanos frowned. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Hey!” he lightly shoved Stephanos’ shoulder. The halfling smiled but then, after a moment, threw his arms around Steve’s neck, hugging him on his tiptoes. Steve smiled into his hair. 

“We can go home now.” he told Stephanos. 

“Good.” Stephanos murmured back, “I’m freezing.”

Steve pulled away and went over to pick up his guitar and papers. Takky was still sitting on the wall crunching carrots.

“Thank you, for your help Takky.” Steve told them. It felt strange, being so earnest. 

Takky shrugged, “I hope he likes it.” they glanced over at Stephanos, Steve felt suddenly flushed. He’d no energy to deny it anymore so just nodded slightly. 

“Merry Christmas, Takky.”

They nodded and grinned, “Merry Christmas, Steve.” 

Steve threw his guitar on his back and strolled back up the path to join Stephanos. All the way home he thought about grabbing his gloved hand. But he didn’t feel brave enough to actually do it.


	5. Mistletoe

It was Christmas Eve, early evening. It was already black outside and snowflakes slowly sprinkled around the ground. They were already tipsy, Renaer coaxing them into a game of cards and drinks before they left for the Karaoke at the Yawning Portal. Not that Steve wanted to go anyway. He wasn’t in the mood. It was cold outside and he knew everyone attempting to sing at the Yawning Portal would piss him off. 

And Stephanos’ legs were in his lap (it had been his head but Qezza pointed out that Steve could definitely see his cards like that, and would definitely cheat. She wasn’t wrong, but he didn’t want Stephanos’ head to move either.) 

When the game finished, not conclusively but with Steve ready to lunge at Renaer over cheating accusations, Qezza went to get ready, Renaer to fill his pockets with drinks to smuggle in and Steve and Stephanos to tidy the cards. They were now scattered around the floor. Stephanos insisted they stack them in order- it took forever. 

When finally they were finished, they raced each other down the vast corridors to their rooms to get ready. Their rooms were close to one another, a fact Steve pretended to hate but secretly adored. Stephanos snuck into his room more often and not now the nights were getting colder. It was so easy. 

He made to go into his own room but Stephanos grabbed his sleeve.

“Steve.” he started.

“What?” until he met Stephanos’ gaze he tried to feign annoyance. Stephanos’ eyes shifted upwards to the ceiling. Steve looked up too. 

Mistletoe, dangling from the ceiling, pinned there under the nail. He couldn’t breathe. 

“So?” he said, innocently. He went to pull away. Stephanos tugged him, right back under the mistletoe.

“You can’t go. It’s bad luck if we don’t…” he couldn’t meet Steve’s eyes.

“Bad luck? That’s not true, Cotton, someone’s lying to you.”

“No, no Renaer said-”

“Renaer? So he did this…”

“But why would they-”

“Don’t you see?” Steve said in a desperate whisper, “He must’ve planned all of this. He’s obsessed with this idea that we’re- more than friends. It’s weird!”

“No he’s right!” Stephanos’ eyes widen, “N-not about us being more than friends, I mean about-” he dropped his voice to a whisper, “ _ the curse _ .” 

Steve rolled his eyes, “There  _ is  _ no curse.” but maybe he should play along. Just so he could know what it was like, to kiss Stephanos Coffeebean. He thought for a moment, “But… if this  _ is  _ Renaer’s little game, we could prove a point.”

Stephanos frowns, “What point?” 

“We kiss. We move on. Forget about it. Continue as perfectly normal friends like we are now.” his heart was beating wildly, but he liked to think he was masking it perfectly well. 

Stephanos swallowed, “Okay…” 

“Okay. Okay so we’re just gonna-”

“Steve.” Stephanos smiled and reached a hand up to Steve’s hair, pulling him down and in turn reaching up on tiptoes so their lips meant. 

Steve had never felt like this before. Like a kiss might break him. Might make his legs give way, might make him forget everything he’s ever known. He pushed himself a little closer and Stephanos took a small step back to keep himself balanced, only pulling Steve closer and kissing him deeper in the process.

This was everything Steve could ever want. Or need. 

He pulled away. Stephanos dropped from his tiptoes and pressed his forehead just below Steve’s chin. Steve’s breath ghosted across it, shaky and hollow. He shouldn’t have done that. Shouldn’t have promised they’d continue as perfectly normal friends after. He swallowed. Then stepped away and cleared his throat.

“Okay.” he swallowed again. He couldn’t meet Stephanos’ eyes, “There. Curse lifted, still friends.”

Stephanos forced a smile and nodded, “Still friends.” 

“Ah, there you are, what’s taking you guys so long?” Renaer, his coat over loaded with bottles of alcohol, badly disguised and making his coat look oddly lumpy.

Steve glanced once more at Stephanos, “Uh, nothing, we er- we’re ready.”

The karaoke was terrible. No one could sing (especially Renaer) and the noise throbbed in Steve’s head. He slipped out early, went to bed. He stared at his ceiling until tears stung his eyes. 

The others came back before he fell asleep. A shadow fell across the gap in his bedroom door and lingered for a while. And then the shadow left, went to his own bedroom. 

Steve didn’t sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh! so the super talented @archersearcher made a very cute fanart for this part! i can’t work out how to attach the pic (lol i might try properly tomorrow?) but you can see it here https://twitter.com/archersearcher/status/1342228071756120064?s=21 Hope you enjoyed this ☺️


	6. Christmas Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this was a day late i sortmof just forgot to post it lol. but hope you enjoyyy!!

He forced a smile at Stephanos that morning, muttered merry Christmas and padded into the kitchen in his pyjamas. 

It was a quiet morning. They tore open the presents under the tree. Steve’s present for Stephanos wasn’t under there. Stephanos didn’t say anything about it. 

Qezza did.

“Steve what’d you get Stephanos.”

“Oh er-” he glanced at the halfling, “I- left it in my room, I’ll get it later.”

Stephanos stared at him, eyes watery. He swallowed. “You didn’t get me anything did you?”

“What? That’s not true.” Steve said, “It’s not!”

“What about the song?”

“What song.” Steve said, for the benefit of not having Qezza and Renaer know about it. But Stephanos’ eyes flashed with hurt.

“I knew it, it wasn’t for me. You lied about Takky, you lied about the song you-”

“I didn’t.”

“Just don’t.” Stephanos got up and fled from the room. He sped through the halls. They heard the door slam.

Qezza and Renaer shared a glance. 

“Steve…” Qezza began, “Aren’t you gonna-”

Steve hurried after him before Qezza could tell him to. The stupid necklace was still in his pocket, badly wrapped. He was too nervous to give it. Like he was too nervous about the song. He was second guessing every line, every rhyme.

Stephanos hadn’t gone far. He was still treading down the driveway- slowly so as not to slip on the icy snow. 

“Cotton.” Steve ran after him, nearly slipped but kept upright. “Cotton wait.” he grabbed his arm, “I do have another present. And the song  _ is  _ for you I just-”

“Just what?”

“I was embarrassed. I want- I want to give it to you alone not- not in front of the others.”

“Why?” Stephanos asked, “You’re ashamed of being my friend?”

“What’re you on about Cotton, no. It’s just… it’s special. It’s private.”

Stephanos huffed and turned to go.

“No. Wait, wait, here.” Steve swiped the present from his pocket and held it out, “It’s stupid because I- I didn’t know what to get you, alright? And I’ll play you the song, later, alright, I swear.”

Stephanos gave him, carefully took the tiny gift, wrapped in thick red paper. He prized it open with small fingers and tugged out the chain. He smiled, cheeks pink from the cold.

“S for Steve? Or Stephanos?”

“Uhm.” Steve swallowed, “I- either, I guess.” Stephanos smiled at it, then frowned.

“Did you get this from Xoblob.”

“Oh. Yeah. Expensive as hell too. He wants The Beholder back by the way.”

“He’s not getting it.”

Steve grinned, “I know. We can never set foot near his shop again.” Stephanos laughed a little, then gestured to the necklace.

“Can you…”

“Yeah.” Steve stepped forward, and, with cold, shaky hands, took the chain. He stood behind Stephanos and draped the necklace over his head, then connected the chain. “That okay?”

Stephanos looked down at the small heart shape and nodded when Steve moved back in front of his face.

“I’m sorry I was so dramatic.” 

Steve shook his head, “It’s alright, meant we could do this outside away from the others’ prying eyes.”

“Actually I think they’re watching from the window.” Stephanos replied, glancing back towards the house. Steve looked round too.

“Unbelievable.” 

“We should go back in.” Stephanos suggested, before making to head back up the path. 

Steve stared out, down at the frozen, snowy town of Waterdeep and closed his eyes from the view. He took a breath.

“Stephanos wait.” he turned around. Stephanos turned too, looking expectant.

“What?”

“Just… one more thing.” he took the three careful steps back towards him. He took Stephanos’ frozen face in his hands and kissed him. 

Stephanos smiled against him, reaching up on tiptoes, kissing and kissing and kissing back. They only pull away when they can’t stop smiling. Steve bites his lip and looks down at him, trying not to grin to much.

“I love you. Like... like properly, Cotton. Completely. Entirely  _ in love  _ with you.” 

Stephanos grinned. 

Everything. Stephanos was everything. 

“I’m in love with you too.” he responded, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah?”

Stephanos nodded, “Yeah. Com-completely and entirely.”

Steve kissed him again. Desperately and deep until Stephanos pulled him away.

“Wait, wait can we go in now? It’s freezing.”

“I told you, I told you snow is cold! I told you it was the worst.” the made their way back up the path back towards the front door.

“No, that’s not the snow’s fault!”

“What, you want warm snow? That’s water, Cotton.”

“No but like, if there  _ was  _ a way to have warm snow it would be great.”

“But then it wouldn’t be snow, you’re missing the entire point.”

Stephanos shoved him out the way and slipped in the front door first, “Just let me imagine.”

“But it doesn’t make sense!”

“You don’t make sense!”

“Hey!”

Qezza and Renaer remained at the window, even as the light argument flooded down the hallways into the living room. 

“I told you they weren’t together before.” Qezza said. She held out her hand. “Pay up.”

Renaer groaned, “But  _ you  _ said he would never admit his feelings. But look at that.” Renaer held out his hand, wiggled his fingers. “ _ You  _ owe  _ me _ .” 

Qezza shook her head. But Renaer was right and she was a valiant loser. She pulled the dragons from her pocket, pressed it into Renaer’s hand. 

Down the hall the sound of a lute being strummed and a soft voice. Qezza and Renaer crept down the halls to grasp the words Steve was softly singing.

_ I’d do anything _

_ Anything _

_ Anything _

_ For you. _


End file.
